By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Tuesday, August 22, 2017, State Representative Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) is running for Congress and he is emphasizing his “outsider” credentials.
Rep. Moore said in a statement, “Well, it was no secret before, but it was made clear once again: the political Establishment hates me. Last weekend, when one of our states largest lobbying entities invited politicians to come “wine and dine” at the beach, it was made abundantly clear that I would not be welcome.”
Barry Moore said, “Now, let me be clear: I had no interest in the trip anyway. I’m a simple guy, and I’d rather be hard at work than sipping drinks with umbrellas in them at the beach. What’s fascinating, though, is what my perceived “sins” were. I was “uninvited” because I chose to stand with the people of Alabama over special interests. I was willing to oppose Common Core, and I have stood up when big business special interests would hurt Alabama’s small businesses and families.”
Moore concluded, “I’m proud to be public enemy #1 of the political Establishment. I will never be their friend, hold a place on their Christmas card list, or be invited to trips on the beach. Unlike the Ryan-McConnell-Roby crowd, I fight for people, not special interests. If you want a representative who excels at cozying up to lobbyists, I’m not your candidate. However, if you want someone like you and someone who will fight for you, sign up to join our team.”
The lobbying organization Moore referred to is the powerful Business Council of Alabama (BCA). Last weekend, as they do every year, BCA invited Alabama’s elected leaders to a conference at a coastal resort in Point Clear. The BCA has been losing their grip on power since their dealings with then Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard (R from Auburn) were publicly exposed by the Alabama Attorney General’s office in the Hubbard trial. Hubbard was convicted of 12 counts of felony ethics violations in 2016.
For the last two years, BCA has been increasingly failing to advance their Legislative agenda. The Legislature has ignored threats to pass BCA’s plan to raise gas taxes on the people of Alabama for an increase in infrastructure spending. The plan would benefit many of the large construction companies which are BCA member corps. This year it never got to a floor vote in either house. BCA’s efforts to block requirements that insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield must provide autistic treatments also failed. BCA retaliated against legislators they deemed unreliable by not inviting them to their annual beach bash. Rather than be chastised by the rebuff, many legislators like Rep. Moore, Auditor Jim Zeigler, and Rep. Jim Carns have treated the rejection as a badge of honor.
Rep, Barry Moore is running for the Second Congressional District against incumbent Martha Roby (R-Montgomery). Roby has represented the Second District for four terms in the House of Representatives. Retired Army Sergeant Major Tommy Amason is also running for the seat as a Republican and the Democrats have targeted the seat as a possible pickup.
